All We Know is Falling
by Mystical'Scythe
Summary: How the Left 4 Dead survivors first met and how they got through the city alive. Takes part before L4D1 and then carries on throughout The Passing and L4D2.
1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note: **I do not own anything of Left 4 Dead, I am just a crazy, obsessed fan-girl (: Rated M for later Chapters.

**. . . **

**ZOEY'S POV:**

I knew I wasn't getting anywhere… I was failing all my subjects and, although I tried my best to be polite, none of my professors seemed to like me. I was skipping classes because the pressure was just too much. My parents were a state away, and I'd never get a job if I just dropped out. The only option was to buckle down and get studying!

That idea… didn't turn out as well as I planned. Picking up the Science textbook, I flipped it open to the page we were learning at, and slumped myself down onto the warm arm chair that came free with my room. Being the sloth I was, I didn't really bother to clean up. It was my own space and I could do what I want. Who cared if it was a little messy? Anyway! I hadn't been out my room for about a week. I was on the brink of being kicked out for good, too. But, now that I think about it, maybe there was a reason I didn't go out. I didn't feel scared of the reason. Just felt like it was a bad idea. Like gut instinct. Of course – knowing me – the time I was off, I had the TV on. Mostly watching movies but, what caught my eye one day was something I'd never bothered watching before: the news. A man stood in the studio with the giant screen behind him, reading 'Infection Leaked in parts of America'. I sat myself down in the very seat I was sitting in now – attempting to read the Science textbook – and listened carefully. The man spoke –

"A deadly virus has been leaked throughout America. Government have decided to close off airports and other routes to prevent spread of infection into other states. It is compulsory that you stay in your home; lock your doors and windows, and do not, by any means, come into contact with any infected… including family members. More information on the virus symptoms will be posted on our website,"

This memory jolted me a little, and a sudden shot through the heart and tweak in the brain bounced me up off of the couch. I dropped the Science textbook as I casually walked over to the window of my apartment room. With two shaky hands, I pulled back the drapes of my curtains to let in that natural daylight. My eyes stayed calm as they were pushed apart, and the panic settled in my mind when I saw no infectious people outside (I figured they'd all be dead or coughing on the floor). Instead, the streets and grounds of my college were empty. It was about 6 o' clock at night but, usually there were at least a few kids outside getting up to no good or smoking or whatever. The sky was unnaturally dark… grey and cloudy, and it looked freezing. My hands began to stick to the icy glass – and I was _inside_! A wave of confusion washed over me, and I started to panic a little again. What was going on? It wasn't time for me to ask rhetorical questions! I had to go and find out what was up. Why was nobody outside tonight? Or was I just exaggerating a non-threatening experience in which maybe tonight, it was just too cold to go outside? Or was everyone doing exactly what the TV had said? Did that weird virus _really_ spread this far in just one week? And everyone was locked up in their dorms, afraid? Doing exactly what I did now? Staring at the discoloured, strange sky while the scary movie marathon was on? I was terribly confused.

In that second, I was startled by a sound. A raindrop had hit the window, but it was harder than just a splat of water. Hail stones, just what I wanted banging against my window in such a stressful time. I ignored them as I strode over to my bed and sat firmly, thinking up something to do. The TV was starting to annoy me, too; the weather must had been taking affect on everything because the channel began to fuzz and blur, until finally, it shot out, dark and blank. No TV, hail storm, barely any food in my fridge; a virus outside. Just perfect… _*Sarcasm*_

An hour had passed of me just lying on my bed, listening to the hail and rain get heavier, and the thunder start to growl, leaving the white flash of lightning after. Time went by so slowly – or at least it felt like it. I didn't actually have a clock in my room, but I was pretty sure it was around 7 or 8-ish now. I couldn't take it, really. My hand darted for the phone. I'd never been close to my parents but, with this virus around, they could probably be dead or sick… and I was bored out my head, anyway. A chat with them couldn't hurt, either. I dialled in their home number and was surprised to hear nothing come up. I kept trying over and over, re-dialling the number, but it just wasn't connecting. _Of course_, I had thought. _Stupid rain's got the electric out. _I couldn't even see if my family were okay; couldn't eat or drink; couldn't watch TV; couldn't go outside… God, what could be worse? And how long was this going to be going on for anyway! The only thing I could do was sleep… at least my dreams would be more interesting. So that's what I decided, then. I lie back again as I was before, and relaxed my body's muscles, breathing deeply and gently listening to the hard rain/hail. The thunder made me jump a few times, but eventually I felt tired. I drifted into a deep sleep.

And that sleep was probably the last relaxed one I'd ever have. My aching eyes flew open with shock and fear as a pounding sound beeped through the building. I sat up, breathing as heavy as my lungs would let me, and listened outside as immense screams of terror began. They hurt my ears, and it all came from outside my window… I got up, ignoring the fire alarm which had woken me up. No one was running from outside in my dorm for some reason. But I stayed focused on what I wanted to see. From earlier, I had left the curtains open; I could see now what those screams were: people running from each other outside, crying for help as they were drowned in red goo – either their own or other people's blood. I couldn't even tell.

My head was asking itself a million questions, and I knew that the sensible thing to do was to also run with them. Even though it meant going down into the death pit, all the men and women I had seen around my college were running away from the building. This meant… I was the one in danger, just by being in here. I gasped and spun around as a slamming at my door began. Something was trying to get in, but it didn't sound human at all… The sound from outside, an immortal cry of half-choking, half-crying, half-squealing, was behind my door, trying to get in. It banged harder and harder until I feared the door would collapse and I would be exposed. Lifting up my window, I hopped out of it; my Chuck Taylor's slipping on the wet rooftop that was below my window. I forgot to shut it behind me, but that didn't matter right now. Home security wasn't a threat to me at the moment. It was these _things_, these inhuman things that tore the flesh off my fellow classmates with their teeth and claws. Their skin rotting like a corpse's and it was grey, discoloured… just like the sky. I couldn't look at them, and their eyes were an endless, dark abyss into nowhere. It held no soul!

My heart raced, fearing for my life as I skidded off the roof and landed into a crowd of running people. They pushed and pulled me, but I managed to get my balance and ran along with them, dodging the infected. I knew now what this virus did. Zombies… So many years my parents told me that going to college and getting a good job would make my future bright. But since I wasn't good at any of that, I still have the cold, chilling success that I was studying the right things all along: Horror movies. Although, this wasn't a movie or a video game – this was real life. If I died, I wasn't coming back. I had to know if my parents were safe, and what started this infection. I wanted to live! I wanted to be a survivor of the Zombie Apocalypse!

My feet ached as I kept on running with the rest of the crowd. The screams of the infected were still heard from behind us. We were being chased, and probably rounded, for a feast. It made me sick to think about it and I wanted to fall and throw up then. But I knew what I had to do.

My breathing was becoming hazy as the smoky air filled my lungs. I began to fall down, more people behind kicking me and falling over me as they struggled for their life. God, I wanted to live so much… I wanted to see my family, and to have a life. I wanted to carry on watching all these stupid horror movies, not be in one. I knew I was going to die, though. I was too weak to live in this world of destruction. And as I slipped into unconsciousness, I wished, and hoped, and did something I'd never done before… prayed… prayed to God, if there was one, to stop this madness. And please let it all be a bad dream.

**LOUIS' POV:**

"Stop… Please! Help me, please!"

I begged for my life as people pushed passed me in panic, frightened for their lives just as I was. No one cared about their family anymore – or even their closest friends. This was about survival. Better safe than sorry, I'm guessin' they all thought, just to make them feel a little better inside about what they were doing. Leaving behind the ones that were supposed to mean so much, just so they could survive themselves. Hmph… Better safe than sorry, though, huh?

"Please, you have to help me! My leg's stuck!" I struggled against the office bookshelf that had fallen onto my leg. It hurt like Hell! But of course, no one stopped to help me. I was abandoned in my office, all alone. Outside I could hear the people running away from the infected, and their screams were carried to and fro. I knew this was the end for me. 'Was pretty hard to believe just 10 hours ago I was working in a warm office, my suit nice and neat. Then next thing I know, fire alarm goes off, people screaming and evacuating. I get pushed into a bookshelf and it traps me. Now I'm stuck in the cold, my work clothes messed up, and my life about to end. I was hoping someone would come back for me, but knew that was a lie I was telling myself. I knew that death was gonna come for me any second now – especially when I saw that infected, crouching down in front of the open door, wearing his messed up hooded jumper. Looked like he was ready to pounce on me, and then I'd die then and there, not even knowing if my friends and family were all right. That infected was different to the others, though. His teeth were sharper, and I couldn't see his eyes because of the hood. And then, just as I was about to cry my last breath in this world, it jumped up into the air, smashing the ceiling fan (which didn't work) in the process. I squeezed my eyes, waiting for it to land on me, but instead… I heard a gunshot.

**FRANCIS' POV:**

Damn. Hard to believe just a few hours ago I was at the bar with the guys, not taking any shit from this infection thing. Now I'm the only one alive, shootin' down zombies and accompanied by an old guy. Never knew that quiet man on the back table had been in the army back when he was my age. I hate war. Except the fighting part.

Once the monsters attacked, first thing I did was grab my gun and start blowing heads off, one by one. Old guy in the back suddenly pulled out a gun of his own and we started working as a team. He said his name was Bill. I told him mine, and we set out to find help some more people and kick those zombie asses. He insulted me a lot, but I got used to it. Dunno if he got used to mine, though, 'cause he'd just follow it by another insult. All in all, he wasn't all that bad. His shooting was _awesome _for an old guy – guessing that's why he went into the army or something.

My motorbike was out of gas, so we couldn't use that (not that I'd let him on the back of it with me, anyway). The infected weren't just those human-like, monster things, though. Some were really different, and they were a lot stronger. I saw one of them about to pounce on some dude trapped underneath a bookshelf. Bill and I ran over to try and help, but we feared it was too late. Our chances were lucky, and Bill managed to shoot the infected down before it killed the guy. Helping him up, we all exchanged names, making our way out of the building to try and get to an airport or way of transport.

"The name's Bill," Bill told the little guy. He was only a foot shorter but still, I felt like a man next to him.

"And I'm Francis." I also said. He nodded shakily, and then said:

"Nice to meet you, Bill… Francis. Thank you. For saving me, I mean. I'm Louis."

"You used to work back there, Louis?" asked Bill.

"Yeah… I'm guessing I won't be getting paid this month…"

We ran through the streets, mine and Bill's guns nearly out of ammo. Louis stayed close, watching out for what we personally named 'Special Infected'. Our main goal was now to collect anymore non-infected survivors that wouldn't slow us down, and get the Hell out of this town. We got to the University around the corner, and immediately got our guns ready for zombie teens and shit, but all we saw were running, screaming teenagers. They all looked half-sane… One lay on the floor, trampled by the others. And boy, was she stunning! I knew I probably shouldn't have put myself in danger like that, but when a guy sees a hot girl… You know what happens…

"Bill, Louis! That girl," I shouted before mowing down a load of zombies, without letting them reply. They stood stiff, watching me grab the girl on the floor and hoist her up, her arm over my shoulder, and dragged her back over to the guys. Surprisingly they helped me pick her up and take her with us, but Bill looked disapprovingly at me the whole time. I just fought back a grin, thinking about how amazing I was for saving the pretty lady. We didn't even have to carry her that far. A lot of infected were about, but Bill and I managed while Louis took the girl into a block of apartments further down town. It was safe in there with the barred door, and we set the girl down on the table.

**BILL'S POV:**

Funny enough, I found the War back in '39 a lot harder than this bullshit. All my elderly life I spent alone, I have regretted everything but one: Going to War. A lot oppose against it, but I'm all for it now and then. I never got married and never had kids. I just lived my life with the revulsion of cleaning my guns and not making any friends. Attachment would get you nowhere in life.

Sitting back in the old pub chair (at the back, to avoid any contact) I thought back memories of the War and how it still went on now. 'Course it wasn't the same as my time now. They all had fancy gadgets. I left my beer unattended, when, someone ran into the pub. I thought they might've been a drunk, but they didn't look it. They were male, and completely aggressive. I had to get up and stare with the others when the guy hacked his teeth into the bar tender's neck. Blood squirt all over the people at the counter as they tried to help him; grabbing the guy's arms and legs, he still wouldn't budge. Until the bar tender fell dead to the ground within seconds. Cries of fear were heard inside and out, and I know we all felt confused. The crazy guy that had walked in suddenly darted for me, blood dripping from his mouth and other places. I was shocked but quickly grabbed the handgun from my pocket… I didn't get it out in time, though. The crazy cannibal leapt for me as I was getting my gun out my coat pocket; just in the nick of time, its head was blown to pieces. As the body dropped to the floor in a flop, I saw the guy behind, who had saved me from this freak of nature. I thought to myself… _Just great! I've been saved by a Biker Mouse from Mars. Now I probably owe him or something._ I pulled out my own gun fully and decided to return that favour immediately, just in case. As another one of those crazy fools ran through the pub door, stepping on the corpses of the now dead drunks, I shot the head off – just as it was about to hit the ugly bastard! – Meaning the biker, of course. Pun intended.

I didn't think it'd work but, we ended up teaming together. Hell, we even rescued a guy and gal from the cannibals outside. And although I still hated his guts… I enjoyed the company kind of. And the insults gave me a chuckle or two. Once we were in the Safe House all together, Francis laid the girl he'd stupidly saved on the table as the rest of us – meaning me and Louis – looked around for guns and ammo and food etc. Fortunately there were a lot of supplies that would come in handy. I made a few backpacks of food and ammo and other necessities for us all, in case we needed to keep moving at any time soon. Francis watched the girl excitedly, hoping she'd wake up soon so he could brag on about how he rescued her. His luck must had been affective 'cause she started to wake up…

**HellH**


	2. Chapter 2

**Author's Note: **I honestly would have had this up so much sooner =/ but my Microsoft Word failed. So I'm having to use WordPad now. It doesn't have spellcheck so I'm sorry for any mistakes. Also.. dunno if my chapters are long enough or if they're not spaced out right. Oh well. You be the judge. I can take a bit of critisism.

. . .

**ZOEY'S POV:**

I heard muffled voices from within my sleep. I wasn't sure what they were talking about, because I was too busy trying to remember what had happened. My head ached slightly and a throbbing began to occur around my right ear.

Opening my eyes a little wider, my memory jogged itself, and I started to panic, thinking about everything that had happened. A moan escaped my lips, and a pair of cool hands began to push me back down to whatever I was lying on (figured it was a table).

I stretched the muscles in my face out, revealing the room I lie in to my confused eyes. The hands on my shoulders pulled away quickly as I lifted up and shook my dazed head into gear.

"Where the hell am I...?" I asked like a drunken bum.

"You're safe here. Unless you've been bitten... in that case..."

I heard the sound of a gun being reloaded to finish that statement. My body jumped at the sound. I twisted my body around, ignoring the cries of pain my body gave, and easily took in my view.

Three men stood before me. The one who had been talking was definitely the eldest of the three. He had a white beard and from underneath his hat, I could see the hair on his head was too. In his mouth was a lighted cigarette, and in his arms was the gun he'd practically threatened me with.

The second had olive skin, and his head was shiney with sweat. His eyes were a dark brown, matching his skin tone. I noticed what he was wearing immediately. A white polyester shirt, unbuttoned slightly, as a red tie hung down from his neck.

Then last, but not least, the third guy. He was... a little harder to take in. In fact, I was kind of taken back by his appearance. Not that I hadn't seen a biker before, just... I'd never actually come this close to one. Thinking about him as if he were an animal made me feel bad, though.

His eyes were dark and his arms were incredibly strong. All along the muscles were several tattoos. His vest and sleeveless leather jacket gave away the whole biker look, obviously. His head was shaved, but not completely bald. So he couldn't have been too old.

"My name's Louis," the dark skinned one suddenly piped up in a cheery voice. He stepped forward and reached for my hand to shake it. "Us four are the soul survivors of this city, we presume. Would've only been three of us if we hadn't of saved you-"

"That would be me!" The biker interrupted, crossing his arms as he stepped back and leaned against the counter along the wall. The older man had gone off into a back room and was rustling with some plastic bags.

"What would be you?" I asked, then remembered I still hadn't told Louis my own name. Quickly flashing him an apologetic look, I squeezed in, "Oh, my name's Zoey, by the way. Nice to meet you, Louis." My head shifted back to the biker.

"I'm the one that saved you. Pulled you outta that crowd like a regular hero!" He gloated, doing the impression of a heroic statue. My eye brow raised at his own stupidity, wondering if he knew how dorky he looked right now. His frame calmed. "My name's Francis, thanks for asking. And the old guy's Bill."

Good. I knew their names, and they knew mine. Now I wanted to come back to the main question. I dropped myself off of the table I had been laying on and straightened out my hoodie.

"So all that trouble outside was from the virus... I wonder what that thing is. And what caused it." I spoke gravely and wearily, looking behind me through the small bars on the door to the infected world.

"No one knows. But I'm sure we'll find out some day. That's if... we ever make it out this place alive." Louis followed my gaze to the grey sky.

"Stop talking all dramatically, you're both so depressing," Francis complained.

"Excuse me, but I don't see you coming up with any _ideas _on how to get _out of this city_!" Louis spat back, still in his happy-sounding voice. He reminded me of one of those door-to-door salesmen. Hell, he could've sold me the crappiest thing ever with that bubbliness in his tone.

"Easy! Old man - uh, I mean Bill - found a load of guns in the back. We get out there and start blowing their heads off."

Francis seemed confident about this idea. Louis on the other hand looked as if he'd vomit just from mentioning the decapitation of their heads. I, myself, wasn't too keene on the idea. The closest thing to using a gun for me was probably the virtual video games you get in arcades. Where the zombies weren't real, and how they glitched every now and then.

But this was the real world now. And those zombies out there wanted us. The guns were probably luck... maybe fate wanted to see how long we'd last in this zombie apocalypse.

"We should probably get moving then," Bill began as he came out of the back room holding two hockey bags (full of guns and other things we'd need). "We can't stay here forever. It'll be dark soon and then we're all screwed. I say it's easier if we head out now, do the best we can, and hopefully come across another Safe House."

"We're a team now, then?" I asked him. Bill didn't reply. He put the two bags on the table behind me and began taking out the smaller guns. Francis gave a short chuckle then came over to me, flopping his hand down on my shoulder.

"Man," he laughed again "What did I ever see in you?" He removed his hand then joined Bill at the table.

I was utterly confused. See in me? Was his herioc actions he'd told me of just for my looks? I'd never been fond of the way I looked, so that gave me quite a doubt that that was the reason. But how could my personality turn him off? I'd only known him for barely even an hour.

**FRANCIS' POV:**

I think I was just hoping for her to be some dumb blonde chick or something. One that would've jumped into my arms and thanked me for saving her life, rather than talking to that computer geek, Louis.

This _Zoey..._ she was different to other girls. She acted more like a guy in my perspective anyway. The way she talked - not necessarily her voice - but just the things she said... I thought she was like, some kind of a tom boy. But tom boys don't wear pink sweaters, right?

Totally weird girl in my opinion. Not that I had anything against her. I just hate weird.

We all grabbed a backpack each and loaded up on guns with belts of ammo and shit. We were determined to find out what was going on, and what those zombie things were exactly. How did it even happen?

I hate mysteries. But this was something we had to find out for sure. Together, we'd have to fight our way through the near-dead city until we got to a safer spot.

There we could rest again and maybe add more to our hopeless-sounding plan. I doubted the whole thing, honestly.

_Pretty sure _we were gonna get attacked by one of them big guys. Muscled up zombie thing - looked like it was on steroids or something.

Glad all mine were natural body building and stuff. The guys at the bar always told me I'd lost my brain within all that muscle. And when they did get the chance to say that... I kicked their asses.

Two hours of making our way through the city. _No_ stops. I hated it. My feet were aching and my hands killed from constantly straining them to a certain position in which a stupid zombie would be coming from.

Luckily we came across more of the 'common' infected rather than the 'special'. But like always, I was sure that luck was about to change. It so did.

"Hunter!" Zoey cried as a hooded zombie leapt down onto me. Its scream was like my ex-girlfriend when on her period! No!, worse!

But God, the saying _Its bark is worse than its bite _was in no way true. The Hunter's heavy body slammed me down so I was looking up at its motherfucking ugly, blood-covered, sharp-toothed face!

The hood covered his eyes and all I heard was its repeated scream and the sound of my clothes being torn. Blood splattered over me as the zombie attacked my abdomen with its long nails aggressively.

I kept trying to fight it off but it was too strong, and I could hear other infected from a distance. Just as my vision started to blur, a gun shot was heard, and the Hunter fell from my body.

Bill, Louis and Zoey grabbed me up and lifted me onto my feet. My stomach killed; the wound I'd just obtained probably looked worse than it actually was, but I didn't wanna look down anyway.

Louis grabbed a long white piece of material out of a medkit he'd picked up in the safe house. He tightly wrapped it around my bleeding, after making sure it was properly clean.

I nodded as a thanks then quickly picked up my gun and began shooting the heads off the zombies as they got closer and closer to us all.


End file.
